REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PRACTICE OF MEDICINE. D. W. C. WADE, M. D., HOLLY, CHAIRMAN. The laws of this society require that the committee on papers report what, and by whom, papers are to be read. The report can be completed by referring to the printed programme, and thus the work of the committee would end, but custom has conferred upon the chairman of sections an opportunity, while thus reporting, to ventilate any views he may entertain on any subject. I wish, therefore, to take advantage of my prerogative, and discuss, in a brief manner, the character of the literary work of this society. Except for the purpose of obtaining information that we are not already in possession of, a medical society is an expensive and useless machine; a medical journal would not be sustained, and all medical literature would be relegated to the function of shielding us from forgetfulness. It is the progress in medicine that we court; it is the medical news that keeps up the interest in study, and that is supposed to be the factor of interest in this society. It is pertinent to inquire as to the extent of participation in medical advancement that may be credited to the medical societies of this country. To make a more direct application, how much more accomplished is any physician for the existence of the Michigan State Medical Society? There is no question whatever that the improvement and progress of the world depend wholly upon the inventor and original worker; and in medicine, without the men who advance the new ideas, the incantations of the aboriginal medicine man would equal anything that could be produced by human agency. Men who become learned in the science and art of medicine are prepared to be of more service to humanity than are all others in the world; but he who has created nothing is a nonentity, and has contributed nothing to the general stock of knowledge, and the medical profession owes him nothing. His inspirations spring from the literature of the profession, to which all have access, and he can teach only the unfledged. It is time to inquire to whom is the profession indebted for its progress; for its accomplishments; for its ability to save from suffering and prolong the life of fellow mortals? It is not to the medical societies of America. So far as American physicians are concerned, who have gotten down to the bone and sinew work of original experimentation, they owe but little for the encouragement of medical societies. Nothing but natural talent for invention, and a love for new work, can be credited for the original work that has been done in this country, and it never has been other than individual enterprise, without hope of reward, and very little honor. Even the American Medical Association, to whom we must all owe allegiance or be doomed. to outer darkness, has placed its elephantine foot upon financial encouragement of invention. The men who advance the new ideas in the general sciences predominate in America. The men who, in the main, furnish the new ideas and make the experiments for the medical profession, reside out of America. Is not this condition of things worthy of an inquiry as to its cause? During the ten years preceding this meeting, almost the whole of the literary productions of this society could already be found in print or related to incidents in practice. To be sure, there have been compilations and deductions that were not without value, but original thought and reports of individual and independent investigations have been very meager, thus seriously compromising the society in estimating its value to the medical profession. If we inquire for the remedy, we must first seek the fault. No one would believe that American physicians have less capacity than their neighbors, the general scientists, for the development of new ideas, and therefore we need not concede superior capacity to our foreign brethern. What is true of American physicians is true of Michigan physicians, and it is not the fault of the individual members of this society that the organization cannot take a higher rank as a scientific body. The key note of all advancement is incentive. In the eastern continent, brain work is adored; in the western, adoration is limited to another commodity. In the countries from which medical advancement emanates, the state appreciates and honors the work. Such recognition is unknown here. And now, as strange as it may seem, perhaps by long training, the profession of this State have taken no steps to develop the latent resources of its membership. The remedy, then, is an incentive-the only remedy for inactivity. When this society confers a coveted prize for valuable contributions to its literature, unborrowed thoughts will flow hitherward; until then, very few. We are constantly taught to do that which pays, and in entertaining this precept we are led far away from the kind of work that can advance the interests of but one doctor. This organization is abundantly prepared to make original work pay, and the more so because whatever may be the achievements of its individual members, the reflection of their work is upon the society as the true beneficiary. OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY, 1885. President-E. P. CHRISTIAN, Wyandotte. First Vice President-P. D. PATTERSON, Charlotte. A. B. PRESCOTT, Ann Arbor, C. W. STOCKWELL, Port Huron. FINANCE. DR. C. V. TYLER, Bay City, Chairman. DR. HAMILTON E. SMITH, Detroit, DR. H. O. HITCHCOCK, Kalamazoo, DR. I. E. BROWN, Detroit, DR. CHAS. SHEPARD, Grand Rapids, J. V. CHAMBERLAIN, Ypsilanti, H. WILLIAMS, E. Saginaw. |